Charleston, South Carolina
I was in Charleston for an hour and getting hungry. The meals on the plane were "prepared by the Hard Rock Cafe," fatty, and expensive. Jim had to go to a meeting and then meet David and Michelle for dinner. I was on my own.
The hotel desk had a few recommendations but seemed be the most enthusiastic about Jestine's.
I walked up just as two men got there, we all went inside and were told that we had to wait in the line that was forming outside. The hostess asked me how many were in my party, and I said, "Just me." She asked the two guys who'd arrived with me. She glanced over her shoulder, raised her eyebrows and said that if we all sit together, we could sit down right now. I said sure. We both turned to look at the men and with sour expressions they said, "We'll wait.
I was a little surprised, but what you gonna do. The hostess looked back at me and ushered me in to a table for 4. "Oh hey, I'll wait for a smaller table, I don't mind!" She shushed me and reminded me it was my turn, sat me down and sent over a waitress.
Every 5 minutes it seemed like another waitress was over asking me how my blackeyed peas and collard greens were. Making sure I didn't need another local Palmetto Amber. The hostess came over to tell me she thought those guys should go screw themselves, that they were rude to reject me, but what did I care, I was eating a delicious blue plate special crab cake. Later she came by to laugh with me that they had left the line. Then another waitress came by and called me Dolly (this is about when I decided that Southern Hospitality is The Shit).
I finsished my beer and looked up into the face of yet another waitress to tell her I was finished and just needed the bill. There was no bill. The hostess thought I was so nice in the face of those two unfriendly guys that she'd bought my dinner for me.
I walked back to my hotel through the moist air with a skip in my step. I bought the Southern style hook, line, and sinker.
Posted by allison at October 14, 2004 10:17 AM